Joe Biden won the Democratic primary earlier this year, but he didn’t officially become the party’s presidential candidate until he was endorsed at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19-22.
There is currently no formal mechanism to replace him as the presumptive nominee, a move that would be the first time a U.S. party has attempted to do so in modern times.
In effect, Biden’s only option is to agree to step down and allow the delegates he won in the primaries (who vote to nominate candidates at the Chicago convention) to choose someone else.
The law does not require delegates to vote for the primary winner, but requires them to vote in a manner that “conscientiously reflects the sentiments of those who elected them.”
If Biden steps down, he may try to nominate someone — most likely his Vice President Kamala Harris — as his preferred candidate, which would have some sway among delegates, but not Binding.
The most drastic action Biden could take — resigning from the presidency — would make Harris president. But that doesn’t automatically make her the 2024 Democratic nominee.
If a candidate is chosen at the Chicago convention, a traditionally elaborate event in which parties present their nominees to the public over several days will turn into a more volatile public or contentious convention— This is in modern American politics. About 700 potentially disunited party insiders have the option of picking a new candidate. They then have just three months to unite and campaign for them before the November election.
There’s no clear front-runner yet, but here are some possible options:
Kamala Harris
The most obvious choice would be Biden’s vice president. She has been widely criticized for not playing her role in the Biden administration and has low approval ratings in polls that suggest she will struggle against Donald Trump on the campaign trail. The 59-year-old endorsed Biden after the debate but may be the easiest replacement for the party to appoint. Furthermore, if Biden chooses to resign now, Harris will automatically become president.
Gavin Newsome
The 56-year-old California governor took to the spin room Thursday night to disparage any alternatives to Biden as the nominee, calling them “pointless speculation.” Last year, he held a prime-time debate with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in what could be a future presidential showdown, and he made clear his support for Democrats in an election far from home that at times looked Looks like a shadow White House campaign.
JB Pritzker
The 59-year-old Illinois governor would be one of the wealthiest possible candidates. He can tout his credentials in codifying abortion rights in Illinois and declaring the state a “sanctuary state” for women seeking abortions. He’s also strong on gun control and recreational marijuana legalization.
Gretchen Whitmer
The 52-year-old Michigan governor was a shortlist for Biden’s 2020 vice presidential pick, and the Democratic Party’s strong performance in the midterm elections is partly due to her experience in office. She has supported stricter gun laws, repealing abortion bans and supporting universal pre-K.
Sherrod Brown
The 71-year-old will be the oldest candidate selected, but is still seven years younger than Trump. It was considered a surprise when he showed no interest in the 2020 Democratic nomination, saying at the time that remaining in the Ohio Senate was “the best place for me to fight on behalf of working people.” He has been a strong voice on labor rights and protections, and has also spoken out in defense of in vitro fertilization and abortion.
Dean Phillips
As a candidate during the Democratic primaries earlier this year, he picked up some supporters but failed to appeal to the broader party and didn’t win any races, so he’s unlikely to be a factor if Biden steps down.
